Kate Scarlata MPH, RDN and Megan
ISBNs:978-0-306-83233-8
Pages: 370 pages (hardcover)
Hatchette Book Group,
New York, New York
“Mind Your Gut” written by Kate Scarlata MPH, RDN and Megan Riehl PsyD is a book produced for patients who deal with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The two authors have extensive experience in managing clinical issues involving the “brain-gut axis” especially in the realm of dietary and behavioral interventions.
The book is divided into 10 chapters, 2 appendices, and a resource page. The book starts with explaining theories of the brain-gut axis in the setting of IBS followed by a description of the “FODMAP” (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) diet. The section explaining food allergies is well written and has the potential to prevent patients with IBS from assuming that many or all gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are due to some type of allergy.
The book proceeds with a wonderful description of cognitive behavioral therapy with easy-to-do exercises to help patients with IBS have reduction of their GI symptoms. After this section, further chapters describe the FODMAP diet in detail including how to do appropriate menu-planning in the setting of IBS and how to make “sane food choices.” The chapters that describe the risks of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, orthorexia, as well as other food intake disorders are very well written and will help patients with IBS to be aware of and to prevent such conditions from occurring. The section on the benefits and disadvantages of proceeding with diets that promote a “healthy microbiome” are helpful and do point out that the American College of Gastroenterology does not recommend using probiotics for IBS. Of note, the American Gastroenterological Association has parallel recommendations. Although probiotics and prebiotics may be beneficial in the setting of IBS in some patients, the authors are extremely clear that such interventions may make GI symptoms worse.
The book then goes into detail about GI conditions that can overlap or be confused with IBS. Such conditions include celiac disease, disaccharidase deficiencies, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and many other disorders. The GI disease descriptions are written well enough to be potentially used as patient handouts in a GI clinic.
Finally, the book ends with extensive recipes to prevent IBS symptoms (Appendix I), coping resources while preparing for a colonoscopy (Appendix II), and a wonderful resource section for further information.
I would recommend this book highly as a resource for patients with IBS who need further appropriate educational resources. This book stands out as an asset for correct information in a world filled with frequent medical falsehoods and pseudo-science, especially in the setting of IBS. The book also is a great educational resource for gastroenterology fellows, dietician students, and psychology students wanting to learn more about non-pharmacologic treatments of IBS.
John F. Pohl MD, Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology
Primary Children’s Hospital
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah